Aintree Day 1

[Exar Essay]

"He's just kept on improving and getting stronger as the season has gone on and today I thought was the best he's looked," said Nicholls.

"It's just hard for the novice chasers at five [years old] these days. They don't get much weight allowance in the spring and taking on the older horses in the spring is quite hard.

"If he had another year over hurdles it wouldn't do him any harm and then he could go novice chasing five into six.

"It might be nice to start him in something like the Fighting Fifth on a galloping track and then we'd know where we were going. It's something to think about over the summer."

Perfect. Thanks